These soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie bars are just like the ones in round cookie form. No cookie scoops required!
Last week, I was craving a chocolate chip cookie. However, I did not want to get out my cookie sheets or deal with a cookie scoop. Call me lazy if you will.
I went to search for a chocolate chip cookie bar recipe to satisfy my cookie craving, except in bar form. Eventually, I went to the King Arthur website and tried their recipe. Surprisingly, I was very disappointed in the end result. My bars were dry, cakey, and not at all soft and chewy like the recipe promised. Shockingly, I even baked my bars for 5 minutes less than the recipe called for and was still extremely disappointed.
My family was bummed because they had high hopes for those cookie bars. I didn’t want to leave them sad, so I searched for another recipe to try. This one seemed promising since the baking time was only 20 minutes and used a preparation method similar to regular chocolate chip cookies (the King Arthur recipe did not).
Man, I was so happy with this recipe, and my family was ecstatic. My husband said that this would have ranked a 1000 compared to the other one I tried. Both Addie and I agreed, and we were thrilled to finally have some chocolate chip cookie bars to enjoy.
This is a fabulous recipe that you should keep in your arsenal. It’s perfect for when you need chocolate chip cookies but don’t want to use a cookie scoop or roll/shape them into individual cookies.
Husband’s rating: 4.5 out of 5
Addie’s rating: 4.5 out of 5
My rating: 4.5 out of 5
Chocolate chip cookie bars
Ingredients
- 1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick / 8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Generously grease or line a standard 8"x8" baking pan and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, cream together the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the egg and the vanilla and mix well.
- Turn the mixer to low and slowly add in the dry ingredients until a few dry streaks remain.
- Add in the chocolate chips and mix until there are no more dry streaks and the chips are evenly distributed.
- Transfer the batter to your prepared pan and smooth the top. If desired, you can sprinkle the top with additional chocolate chips.
- Bake in your preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes. I baked mine for 20 and they were perfect. The edges should be set, and the center might appear slightly underdone (that is OK).
- Allow the bars to set and cool completely (the centers will firm up as they cool) before slicing and serving.
These were yummy and much easier than making chocolate chip cookies! I think I will make them in a 9 x 9 inch pan next time so they are little thinner. Will make again for sure!!
Author
Glad you enjoyed these, Michele!